Man arrested after foot chase through Blanchester

BLANCHESTER — Blanchester police arrested a man after what they say was a 30-minute foot chase throughout the village late Thursday morning.

According to police, Ptl. Kristen Jeffers spotted Charles “Brandon” Barber, 35, walking downtown, talking to himself and fidgeting about. She learned that he was wanted on an arrest warrant from the Wilmington Police Department.

“When Ptl. Jeffers attempted to stop him he fled on foot,” said Police Chief Scott Reinbolt. “Other Blanchester officers responded to the area and chased Barber through back yards and alleys throughout the Bourbon and Fancy Street areas for the next 30 minutes, with Barber hiding on porches and in yards.”

Officers on foot located him walking in an alley near the intersection of Church and Depot streets and he was taken into custody, Reinbolt said. He added that police learned Barber had been downtown selling some tools at a second-hand store.

“Since Barber has prior arrests for theft and burglary, an officer is currently checking to see if any area police agencies have reports of stolen tools of that description,” Reinbolt said, adding that the warrant was for failure to appear in the Clinton County Municipal Court as ordered in a theft case.

Barber was transported to a waiting Wilmington police officer midway between Blanchester and Wilmington, where the Wilmington Police took custody of him, Reinbolt said.

Barber was formerly a resident of Midland and is currently believed to be homeless.

“Throughout the lengthy foot pursuit, we were repeatedly flagged down by, and received phone calls from, citizens in the area with tips on his whereabouts as he fled,” said Reinbolt. “The police can’t be everywhere, all the time, so we have to rely on our residents to be our ‘eyes and ears’.

“We greatly appreciate the civic pride displayed by those citizens who helped in Barber’s apprehension.”